Alabama youth softball building off Tide's success

By Brad CochiBoCoPreps.com

Posted:
06/28/2012 10:56:39 PM MDT

Updated:
06/28/2012 10:57:42 PM MDT

20120628_SOFTBALL_076.jpg Alabama's Caitlyn Hudgins, right, celebrates after scorring a run during the game against the California All-American Sports Academy at Garden Acres Park in Longmont on Thursday, June 28, 2012. For more photos visit www.timescall.com.
(Greg Lindstrom/Times-Call)
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

LONGMONT -- On a state-by-state basis, prep sports often emulate the next level.

For the Huntsville Sparks 16-under team from Huntsville, Ala., they're doing their best to emulate the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Competing this week at the Louisville Slugger Independence Day Tournament at Garden Acres Park, the Sparks bring a unique flavor to Colorado, a state with just one Division-I program.

"Softball is a big sport in Alabama," 16-year-old Sparks pitcher Faith Sims said. "Everybody is just all about it. Alabama and Auburn is a big rivalry and everything. They play every weekend. Every game is on TV. We even go and watch them sometimes."

With collegiate softball programs like Alabama, Auburn and South Alabama being more mainstream in Alabama, Sims said being able to watch their favorite Division-I teams on television every week is more than just an enjoyable luxury. She said it helps them learn by observation.

"A lot of the broadcasters point out the stuff they're doing wrong," Sims said. "Being on the other level, it's nice to know that they still do stuff wrong and being able to pick up what they do wrong and learning from it."

Sims said the accessibility of the players in top collegiate programs is another advantage afforded to Alabama prep players. At a Crimson Tide softball camp, for example, All-American pitcher and Women's College World Series most valuable player Jackie Traina gave Sims advice on pitching and hard work.

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Sims isn't the only player from the Southeast who goes out of her way for contact with some of the nation's best.

"They give really good tips andhelp you to improve on what you need to improve on," 16-year-old Sparks catcher Emily Bombard said. "It helps you understand the game a lot better."

Three players on the Huntsville Stars 18-under team have already committed to either Alabama, Auburn or South Alabama. For many of the younger girls, playing Division-I softball in the state of Alabama remains a dream to be chased.

"It definitely drives you to be a better player because you want to be able to go play D-I around home," Bombard said. "It makes it a lot easier to be able to go and be a big-time player around home. It helps a lot to see those girls and know some of them because you played high school ball with them."

As the Alabama schools' softball prestige has grown, so has interest at the prep level. And with that, said Sparks head coach Jeff Campbell, the number of Alabama prep players being recruited by local Division-I programs has increased.

"In Alabama, it used to be that everybody in the SEC was recruiting out of California," Campbell said. "Now, with Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi State and Kentucky, they really hit our area and a lot of our girls are going to those schools now."

Campbell said five years ago that nine out of 10 players on the Alabama and Tennessee rosters were from California, historically the nation's softball hotbed. Now, he said, it's more like two out of 10.

"That just means the Southeast area is just growing so much," Campbell said. "It's not like California has that many better athletes than the South, they were just that far ahead of us."

Five players on the University of Alabama championship roster are from inside the state. But like most prep players, many of the girls in the Huntsville Sparks program will be happy playing for any school willing to offer them a scholarship. That's why they travel the country to tournaments like the Louisville Slugger Independence Day Tournament in Boulder County.

"I love the fact that there are a bunch of colleges here (recruiting)," Tuttle said. "You have the opportunity to play really wherever you want to play as long as you do your best and play well."

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